NARRATOR P.O.V

The sun finally appeared in the sky. Y/N was peacefully sleeping in his bed with Hestia on top of him, hugging him. As for Bell, he slept on the couch like always.

The footsteps of someone entering their home was heard yet no one woke up, unaware of their presence. This person was Aiz, who already knew the place.

She entered their living room and walked towards the bed, getting on top of it. With all the care in the world, she pushed Hestia to the side without waking her up thanks to her Agility. Aiz then stood over Y/N, sitting on his torso.

Aiz:"Y/N."

The boy was so tired from yesterday's activities he still didn't heard Aiz. She places her hands on Y/N's shoulders and shook him, trying to wake him up.

Aiz:"Y/N. I need your assistance."

Y/N:"...hmm? Hestia, when did your voice get so monoto- WHAT THE- HMPHMPH?!"

Due to how he raised his voice Aiz had to place her hand on his mouth.

Aiz:"Keep quiet or they'll wake up."

Y/N nodded and Aiz removed her hand.

Y/N:"What are you doing here?"

Aiz:"I need your help."

Y/N:"What for? What's so important you need my help for so early in the morning?"

Aiz:"I need you to make-"

Hestia:*Slowly opens up eyes* "Y/N? Why are talking on your own dear? What are you- AHHHHH! A BIMBO IN MY BED!"

Hestia's eyes met Aiz. She jumped from the bed, spooked. This woke Bell up who, after seeing Aiz on the bed with Y/N grunted and went back to sleep.

Hestia:"Aiz Einstein!"

Aiz:"Wallenstein."

Hestia:"Who the hell invited you to this house?! Out of here, demon! Shoo, shoo!"

Aiz:"I came here to request something from your child."

Hestia:"My child will not please your request! Now leave and let us-"

Y/N:"You didn't told me what was it."

Hestia:"Y/N?!"

Aiz:"I need you to hold your part of our deal."

Y/N:"Ah, of course."

Hestia:"Wait what deal?"

Aiz:"Then we shall go to Loki's manor and to my private room. There, we can begin."

Hestia:"B-Begin? What are you two going to do?! In her private room nonetheless?! You think I'm-"

Aiz:"Potions." *Shows a small leather bag with materials* "I need an alchemist. I'm out of them."

Hestia:"Oh. That's fine then."

After hearing Aiz's true intentions Hestia stood up and walked towards Bell, shaking him awake. She wanted breakfast.

Y/N:"Let me see." *Aiz gives her bag* "These materials are... very expensive and rare. What are we making?"

Aiz:"2 potions of resurrection, 3 of strength, 5 of healing and a single speed potion."

Y/N:"T-That's gonna take me a while."

Aiz:"I have all day. In the meantime I can work on your armor. It's a little broken."

The two adventurers glanced at Y/N's armor laying on a chair. It recieved a lot of damage from the minotaur damage.

Y/N:"I'd like that! I didn't know you were a blacksmith tho?"

Aiz:"And I'm not. I'll force Gareth to do so."

Y/N:"Ah..."

Aiz:"If you don't mind I'd like you get to work as soon as possible. I need the resources for my next expedition."

Y/N:*Sighs and gets up* "Let me get dressed and we go."

Aiz:"Of course."

Y/N nodded and went to grab his old coat. Before he could get his pijamas out, he glanced at the two girls in the room. Aiz was looking at him, innocence in her eyes. She didn't understand why Y/N stopped. As for Hestia, she was looking at him with anticipation.

Y/N:"Turn around."

Aiz:"What for?"

Hestia:"Oh c'mon! It's not the first time I-"

Y/N:"Turn around!"

Aiz:"Okay..."

Hestia:"Fine, fine!"

Timeskip brought to us by Bell peacefully cooking food, trying to ignore everyone. 

Once Y/N was ready he marched to the Loki manor guided by Aiz. Now that they're on private, Aiz acted way more loving to Y/N, hugging him and smiling more often.

Currently, the boy was making the last of the potions needed. He's sitting in a wooden chair in front of a desk filled with glass bottles, all of them of different colors. He depleted almost all of the materials given by Aiz. The boy realised she built this working bench on her room just for him.

Behind him was Aiz, reading a skill book on her bed. She glanced at Y/N from time to time, watching his progress. Eventually, Y/N finished all the potions Aiz needed and turned around.

Y/N:"It is done. Where should I put them?"

Aiz:"Do not worry, leave the potions there. How much would be?"

Y/N:"Well, you gave me the materials so a small few will be enough."

Aiz:"10.000 Valis?"

Y/N:"I-I said small!"

Aiz:"I know."

Y/N:"I think we have a different concept of 'small' but I'll take it."

Aiz nodded and grabbed a small chest in her nightstand. She open it, grabbed two small pouches and tossed them to Y/N who grabbed them.

Aiz:"5k on each. That should be enough."

Y/N:"Well then, thank you Aiz. Now if you don't mind I'll-"

Aiz:"Wait. There's a little extra I want to pay you..."

She got up and walked towards Y/N.

Y/N:"Huh? What do you- HMPH?!"

Aiz grabbed his shoulders and kissed him. This time, Y/N reacted quicker and kissed back in almost no time. His hands grabbed the girl's back, pushing her more onto his body. Aiz smiled in the kiss, liking his advances.

Once they were done, they separated their lips yet they stood in their embrace. Aiz's hands were around his nape while his were on her back. They were looking at each other lovingly.

Aiz:"I love you."

Y/N:"So do I."

Aiz:"You still remember we can't let anyone else seeing us, right?"

Y/N:"I know."

Aiz:"This is not only for Hestia but also Loki. If she sees us together she could... well, get 'pushy' with the subject. My goddess does not know when to stop."

Y/N:"I still don't feel great hiding our relationship from her. She should know. Hestia I mean."

Aiz:"Your goddess was fine with polygamy. Besides, the greek gods have done much more worse things. Ask Zeus about it..."

Y/N:"I know but-"

Aiz:"When you have the chance talk to her. In the meantime, let's keep this between us. Even then do not forget I'll be here for you. I love you, my dearest rookie."

Y/N:*Chuckles* "Well I love you too sensei."

Aiz:"Don't call me that. Makes me feel old."

Y/N:"You're 2 years older!"

Aiz:"That's too much for you? 2 years?"

Y/N:"Nope. I kinda prefer it..."

Aiz:"Really? I'm a lucky one then." *Laughs* "Now off you go, didn't you had plans with Bell?"

Y/N:"Ah, yes! Bell wanted to get a new pair of armor. His old one broke. I gotta go Aiz!"

Aiz:"Sure thing. Before that, take one of the resurrection potions for yourself. I don't trust that Cheat Death ability of yours."

Y/N:"Huh? I thought you needed them?"

Aiz:"Yes. Those ones however were not required for my expedition. I wanted them for a different reason."

Y/N:"Okay... well, I'll be going now!"

Y/N grabbed the potion Aiz told him to and left her room. Before going towards Babel, where he will meet Bell he decided to walk to the backyard where Gareth should be fixing his armor.

Just as he expected, the dwarf was there fixing a sword from a rookie. His entire set of armor was not only fixed but clean. He noticed it looks better than ever.

Y/N:"Hey Gareth! Thanks for the job man!"

Gareth:"You're welcome. I also improved it so it should be more resiliant. The cape is now fireproof. You're going to start fighting enemies with fire attacks so I thought you might need it."

Y/N:"Ah, thank you! How should I repay you?"

Gareth:"I'm fine. For the moment. You owe me kid, I'll think how you should repay me in the future."

Y/N:"Okay."

The boy took his coat off and got dressed in his armor. He also felt how the armor was slightly heavier, but it didn't matter if the armor was truly stronger. He placed his old coat in his backpack and walked towards the tower of Babel to meet with Bell.

Once he said his goodbyes to Gareth he left. On his walk, Y/N noticed the lack of adventurers on the streets. Many of them should be in Babel by this time which made Y/N a little dissapointed he can't go today.

Suddenly, the boy bumped into a girl when making a turn. Before the girl could fall to the ground, Y/N grabbed her hands, helping her regain her balance.

Y/N:"Oh- my bad! Are you okay- Syr?"

The girl in question was Syr. She looked at Y/N and widen her eyes, not expecting to see the adventurer here. For a split second, a devious smile appeared on her face, one that quickly dissappeared and turn into her usual smile.

Syr:"Ah, Y/N! What a pleasant surprise! Do not worry, I'm okay."

Y/N nodded and moved his hands away, freeing hers.

Syr:"Do you know where Bell could be? I'm trying to find him."

Y/N:"Yes I know. You want to give him something? I can give it to him. I was going to meet him anyways."

Syr's eyes suddenly shined in purple.

Syr:"Why don't you guide me to him? I wanted to chat with you for a little. You can give him my gift later on."

Y/N:"Oh. Okay."

Once Y/N agreed Syr's eyes turn back to normal. The boy started walking towards Babel with Syr besides him.

Syr:"So... I heard your level 22 now. Have you planned on what goddess you want?"

Y/N:"What do you mean?"

Syr:"Y'know, getting their gifts and all..."

Y/N:"Ah, I see. Well I do not know. Guess I'll go with Hestia. After all, she's my goddess and I do not have her gift."

Syr:"I see. May I reccomend you some? Their gifts might interest you."

Y/N:"Of course! Why not?"

Syr:"Well you could go with Athena. She focuses on Intelligence yet her gift can also be used by Luck users. You could go with Loki, hers are pure Agility. Lastly..."

Y/N:"Yeah?"

Syr:"This is my personal favourite option for you. You could ask Freya for her gift. It would be the most benefitial to you."

Y/N:"Really? How so?"

Syr:"Freya is not only the goddess of beauty and..." *Chuckles* "Well, y'know... she's also associated with war and death. Perfect for a Reaper, don't you think?"

Y/N:"I'm trying not to be one, Syr."

Syr:"I know but you have the abilities of one. Why don't you go to her manor and ask her about it? I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Her eyes shine in purple, yet again. Y/N looked at her and nodded.

Y/N:"I'll think about it."

Syr:"Well look at that! We're already here. Could you bring this to Bell please? He left his bento."

Y/N:"We're not going to Babel today Syr."

Syr:"But you do plan on having dinner at some point, right? C'mon take it! Oh wait, I see what happens. You're dissapointed it ain't Ryuu's~"

Y/N:"Why would Ryuu cook for Bell?"

Syr:"That's not-" *Sigh* "Take it."

Y/N:"Okay, okay!"

The adventurer took the bento. Syr thanked him and left. Y/N entered Babel, taking the elevator up. He was going to meet Bell in one of the upper floors where adventurers reunite to form groups with one another.

When he reached the floor he saw his friend sitting in a stone bench along with a red-haired male, an arm around Bell.

Y/N walked towards the two. Bell spotted him and waved, making the red-hair look at Y/N aswell.

Bell:"Hello Y/N! This is Welf Crozzo, the one who made my armor!"

Y/N:"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Crozzo."

Welf stood up and laughed, waving his comment off.

Welf:"There's no need for such formalities. I guess you're Y/N right? Bell already filled me in."

Bell:"I made a deal with him. He becomes our personal blacksmith as long as we bring him to Babel. You're fine with this right?"

Y/N:"What's your level?"

Welf:"18. I focus my stats on Strength if your wondering."

Y/N:"Great, we needed a heavy hitter in the team. Welcome aboard Welf."

Welf:"Thank you. Well, why don't we make a small incursion?"

Bell shook his head.

Bell:"Our supporter took a free day. I'll rather wait for tomorrow."

Welf:*Sigh* "A shame. Well, I suppose we will see each other here tomorrow then. If you guys need me for anything I'll be in the outskirts. I live there, in a wooden house. Not too fancy but it works."

Y/N:"I'm sure it's better than ours."

Welf:"If you say so. I'll be going now, until tomorrow. Thank you both for letting me in. Goodbye."

Bell:"Farewell!"

Y/N simply nodded and watched Welf go. After that, he looked at Bell.

Y/N:"With him I'm sure we could hit Floor 12 and beyond without any trouble."

Bell:"Right. In any case, why did you wanted to meet me here?"

Y/N:"Simple. I wanted to propose you something."

Bell:"Let's hear it."

Y/N:"Every night, I go to the walls to train with Aiz. That's why my stats usually go 1 point or 2 higher than expected."

Bell:"I know. Guess that after training with her it's much easier to fight the monsters we usually face, right?"

Y/N:"Correct. Thing is, I want you to tag alone."

Bell:"W-What? Me training with Aiz? I don't know Y/N, I don't think I'm ready for that..."

Y/N:"When I started training I was much lower level than you. You're ready."

Bell:"How does the training go? I mean, what do you two do?"

Y/N:"She mostly beats the crap out of me. I just have to try and beat her. Keyword try."

Bell:"Have you ever won against her?"

Y/N:"Nope. There was this time I thought I did but in reality she was merely toying with me. Still, I learnt a lot from her. I'm sure it's gonna help us."

Bell:"Okay I'm in. When are we going?"

Y/N:"Tonight, 11:00 P.M. We will wait until Hestia is asleep and fed then we go."

Bell:*Chuckles* "You talk as if she were our child."

Y/N:"I love our dear goddess but she sometimes acts like one."

Bell:"That's part of her charm, don't you think?"

Y/N:"Yeah. Wouldn't have it any other way."

Bell:"What do we do in the meantime? Any ideas?"

Y/N:*Shrugs* "We could go to the Hostess of Fertility..."

Timeskip brought to us by Y/N and Bell, bored out of their minds.

After what felt like an eternity, the night finally came. The two adventurers went out of their homes and walked towards Orario's walls. Hestia left them a note. She was going to announce their adventurers reaching Level 20 at the Adventurer Guild to make it official. Once they reached the walls they waited for Aiz to appear.

It only took her a couple of minutes to do so. The girl looked at Bell, surprised to see him there.

Aiz:"Y/N?"

Y/N:"I wanted Bell to tag alone if it ain't a bother to you. He needs help too."

Bell bowed to Aiz as a show of respect.

Bell:"Please Miss. Wallenstein, I need to get stronger."

The princess of war looked at Bell and nodded.

Aiz:"Very well. Be warned I won't go easy on you. I'll fight as I usually do with Y/N."

Bell:"Yes ma'am!"

Aiz:"Hmm... this can actually be benefitial for your growth aswell Y/N. You two can learn formations and tactics. I won't say more, figure it out on your own."

Y/N:"Right."

Aiz:"This time, I'll fight to kill. You better be prepared.

The girl drew her blade and waited, looking at the adventurers with murder intent. Bell and Y/N took the memo, both grabbing their weapons.

https://youtu.be/DzJLGnM9Z-8

Bell:"Got a plan?"

Y/N:"For now, buy me time. Play it defensively Bell, she's much faster than you."

Bell nodded and grabbed Liliruca's knife aswell, dual wielding them. He charged at Aiz, getting ready to attack. Once he was close he tried to slice her face, just for Aiz to simply move her body backwards a little. The girl threw a push kick to Bell but he jumped back.

Aiz immediately used her wind enchants to move at high speeds, stopping behind Bell. The boy had enough Agility to react on time, sliding beneath her as soon as he landed on the ground. He rolled away, dodging an attack from Aiz and used her Shadow Strike ability to appear behind her, throwing a roundhouse kick.

The princess of war grabbed his leg and threw him towards Y/N who had to duck to dodge his friend. Y/N threw three arrows that got stopped mid-air by a force field created with air magic. Aiz sent them back to Y/N who grabbed his scimitar and sliced them apart.

With his guard open, Aiz charged at Y/N and tried to stab him in the torso. Y/N's slow mo kicked in, giving him a chance to jump over her and threw a decapitation attempt. Aiz turned around and blocked the attack, clashing swords.

Bell:"Firebolt!"

Bell threw a ball of fire at Aiz who decided to drop her sword and dodge to the side. The fireball hitted Y/N, sending him backwards and giving Aiz time to pick her sword. Bell charged at Aiz to prevent her from finishing Y/N. He used his Shadow Strike ability once again, a move that Aiz was expecting. She immediately moved her sword behind her, stopping once the tip was touching his neck.

Aiz:"We're not playing around Bell. This is not a game. Get serious or someone might get hurt."

Angry, Bell slapped her sword away with Hestia's knife and tried to stab her arm. Aiz parried the attack and went to stab his torso but Bell ducked. She tried to knee him just for the boy to block her knee with his daggers. He feinted an attack, making Aiz believe he was going to stab her knees. She tried to move away just for him to perform a spinning sweep kick, throwing her to the ground.

Y/N:"Bell, we have a chance, go back!"

He nodded and used Shadow Strike on Y/N, appearing behind him. Bell stood next to him, eyes focused on Aiz who slowly stood up.

Bell:"She's too fast, we need to surprise her. How?"

Y/N:"I have an idea. How many times can you use Shadow strike in a row?"

Bell:"A couple. Why?"

Y/N:"I can't use my bow against her, she counters my arrows at all times. We will have to improvise."

Y/N putted his bow away and grabbed his scimitar and dagger.

Y/N:"I'll take the lead this time. Use Shadow Strike on me as soon as I'm about to attack. I'll feint it and give you a clear shot."

Bell:"Got it."

Once they were ready, Y/N charged at Aiz. He sprinted towards her and jumped, trying to smash her with his sword. Aiz jumped backwards and immediately went for a thrust attack. He made a side step and threw an attack at the same time as Aiz, their swords clashing.

Y/N managed to get out of the clash by dodging to the side. He threw an attack yet he feinted it at the last second, giving his back to Aiz. Bell saw this and used his Shadow Strike ability on Y/N, appearing on top of him. He jumped at Aiz and threw a punch.

This move caught Aiz by surprise. She didn't had any time to react and got hit on the face. Bell went on the offensive and made an upward slash with his daggers, forcing Aiz to put her sword next to her chest, blocking the attack. Bell heard Y/N sprinting behind him so he used his Shadow Strike ability to appear behind him letting Y/N take the offensive again.

Taking the chance now that Aiz is vulnerable, Y/N used Critical Strike on his blade and used his Roll the Dice skill on his left hand. His dagger was nowhere to be seen. The dices made a total of 9. The blade was shining in green.

Y/N striked her blade, sending Aiz at high speeds into a tower. She crashed there, going into the tower. Y/N and Bell reunited and celebrated, finally managing to get a good hit on her. Both were confident. Big mistake.

Aiz:"Not bad. Avenger."

Aiz appeared from the tower, no harm was done. While the two celebrated she took the chance to heal up. Aiz charged at the two. She was extremely fast. Y/N saw how everytime she took a step, a wave of wind was left behind. Aiz was jumping all around the place, even mid air. Almost as if gravity was non-existing for her.

The girl crashed in mid of the two, sending each to a different side of the walls. Aiz focused on Bell first, knowing he's the worst at defense. The girl charged at him and grabbed his face, throwing him to the ground. She stepped on his head and later on kicked him, launching him into a tower the same way Y/N did to her.

Talking about him, Y/N managed to safely land on the ground. He grabbed his crossbows and started firing at Aiz. With a single wave of her hand, wind appeared to make a shield in front of her, blocking all the bolts. The boy putted them away and drew his scimitar and dagger.

As soon as he did Aiz was already charging at him. He had enough time to parry her next attack with his dagger but it flew away. Before Y/N could redirect his arm to punch her, Aiz grabbed his arm and threw her over her shoulder, immediately putting her feet on his neck. She then parried an attack coming from Bell who appeared behind her and quickly aimed her sword at his face.

Aiz:"Enough. You two lose."

The two sighed and nodded. Bell sat on the ground, exhausted. Y/N tapped Aiz's feet. Aiz quickly removed her feet from his neck and kneeled besides him, worried.

Aiz:"I wasn't too rough right? Are you okay? Let me heal you."

Y/N:*Coughs* "I-I'm fine, don't worry." *Sats on the ground and grabs a healing potion, drinking it* "What is that Avenger skill you have?"

Aiz:"It's mostly to slay monsters. That's it purpose. If I get angry, I get more powerful. Works way better against monsters like I said."

Bell:"No kidding... thought we were winning."

Aiz:"Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer. Never get cocky. When you do, you lower your guard. Best moment for an opponent to turn the tides of the battle."

Bell:"Gotcha..."

Y/N:"We hitted you hard tho, yet you have no wounds. You also mention you could heal me. How?"

Aiz:"I learnt a basic healing spell from Riveria. It works for lesser wounds."

Bell:"What about that wind magic?! Don't you get tired by casting so many spells in a row?!"

Aiz:"Three things. One, you should train with your magic and spells more often. That way you will raise your mana or at the very least, increase your stamina. Will be useful to force your body to keep on casting even without mana."

Bell:"Didn't know you could do that."

Aiz:"You can but I don't reccomend it. You can die."

Bell:"Dully noted."

Aiz:"Two, getting spells that are mana efficient it's the way to go if you're not a spellcaster. Don't try to get powerful spells but ones that can be casted while you fight."

Y/N:"And the third thing?"

Aiz:"Spirit Healing. Passively regenerates mana. Very useful in battles of attrition."

Y/N:"Knew you had more tricks up your sleeve?"

Aiz:"Of course I do. You have to be prepared for any situation. That's why it's good to always have at least, one spell and ability of every class."

Bell:"One more thing... we can head home right?"

Y/N looked at him with dread on his eyes, knowing the answer. Aiz tilted her head, confused.

Bell:"R-Right?"

Timeskip brought to us by Y/N and Bell going back home battered and bruised.

They didn't even had dinner. They were too exhausted. As soon as Y/N and Bell came back home, the two jumped to the bed and slept on it, not bothering to get changed or remove their armors.

Someone went inside the church. This girl was Hestia, who was humming a tune, happy of the results. She managed to get a title for both of them. As soon as she went in, she looked at the bed to see both Y/N and Bell peacefully sleeping next to each other. She smiled and went to the wardrobe, grabbing a coat to put over the two.

The girl sat on their couch and looked at the ceiling. Before she could fell asleep she heard someone knocking on a stone wall, hiding in the shadows.

Hestia:"Who's there? What do you want?"

Riveria:"Hello goddess Hestia. My name is Riveria, I'm one of Y/N's friends."

Hestia:"I see. Sorry, but he's asleep right now."

Riveria:"It's fine. I wanted to speak with you."

Hestia:"With me? Okay... come in."

From the stairs came Riveria who glanced at the bed. For a couple of seconds, she stared at Y/N's face, smiling. The elf shook her head and sat next to Hestia.

Hestia:"Today has been an exhausting day so let's make it brief. What is it that you want Riveria?"

Riveria:"I've been investigating your child, Y/N."

Hestia:"Why."

Riveria:"He caught my attention in more ways than one. I seek to learn more about him and the source of his strength."

Hestia:"I'll ask again. Why."

Riveria:"I told you. He..." *Sigh* "I'm his friend. I worry. That's all."

Hestia:"Don't. There's nothing to be worried about."

Riveria:"Y/N has the gift of a dead goddess. I think that's something to be worried about, don't you think?"

Hestia:"He has never been in another familia before. I do not know how he obtained that gift nor do I care. Y/N is now my child... my lover."

Riveria looked at Hestia a little more harshly when she metioned that.

Hestia:"As long as he has the strength to come back alive I'm fine."

Riveria:"So do I. Don't get me wrong, I'm not jealous nor am I looking to steal his gifts. But, if this goddess is dead someone might... want to finish the job. If you know what I mean."

Hestia:"You're saying someone could try to kill him?"

Riveria:"Goddless get an extra once an entire familia is wiped out. There's no rules in Babel. If Y/N crosses paths with them things could get messy. That's why I want to know. He's my friend."

Hestia:*Sigh* "Very well. I understand. I'll try to get something out of him. For the time being, do not mention any of this to him. The less he knows about his past the better."

Riveria:"I have the feeling you're not being honest with me."

Hestia:"I do not know what you're talking about."

Hestia tilted her head, smiling. Riveria's Sharpness is high enough to know Hestia is lying, but she also knows there's no chance of charming Hestia. Riveria stood up and went for the stairs.

Riveria:"I'll take my leave. Thanks for your time Miss. Hestia. May our paths cross again."

Hestia:"Likewise."

Once Riveria left, Hestia stared at Y/N from afar. Her smiled dissappeared.

I'm gonna have to speak with Loki about this.